Process of making screens for use in connection with oil wells



Jan. 9 1940. E. E.-JOHNSOI.-I'

PROCESS OF MAKING SCREENS FOR USE lN CONNECTION WITH OIL WELLS Original Filed April 2, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 F O n e v n Y I Edward E. Johnson.

" fitter-megs.

Jan. 9, 1940. as. JOHNSON PROCESS OF MAKING SCREENS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH OIL WELLS Original Filed Apri1.2, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 v i Invefitpr: Edwar-cl,E. Johnson.

fitter-megs.

Jan. 9, 1940. E. E. m oN 2,185,999

PROCESS OF MAKING SCREENS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH OIL WELLS Original Fild April 2. 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Invert-tor: Edward E. Johnson.

' K1: Barneys.-

Jan. 1940. E. E. JOHNSON 2,185.999

PROCESS OF MAKING SCREENS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH OIL WELLS Original Filed April 2, 1935 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Edwdl-ol EJ'ohnsori. B il Aw M! W Ktfor-neys.

Jan. 9, 1940.

E. E. JOHNSON PROCESS OF MAKING SCREENS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH OIL WELLS Original Filed April 2, 1935 7 SheetS-Shet- 5 inventok: Edwblr ol EJohnson.

fitter-megs.

Jan. 9, 1940. v E. E. JOHNSON 85.999

PROCESS OF MAKING SCREENS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH OIL WELLS Original Filed April 2, 1 935 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 I nvzn ft'or: vjfilciwolr'd. B. Johnson.

I Attorne s.

Jar-1.9, 1940. E. E. JOHNSON 2,1ss.999'

PROCESS OFMAKING SCREENS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH OIL WELLS Original Filed April 2, 1935 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 I Inventor:

Edward E. Johnson. 5 Mm M W fitter-megs.

I Patented Jan. 9, 1946 UNITED. STATES li'ATEN' OFFICE d 2,185,999 d Edward E. Johnson, St. Paul, Minn, assignor' to Edward E. Johnson Incorporated, St. Paul,

' grated at each crossing point thereof.

1 Claim. (01. 29-1635) My invention relates to a process of making screens for use in connection with oil wells, and has for its object to provide means for making such a screen which is not only particularly strong and able to resist intense strains in the sinking of such a screen in very deep oil wells, but which will have a very large screening capacity, and will be substantially self-cleaning,

and hence which can not clog or have it screene ing'capacity seriously diminished. v

It is a particular object of my invention to provide a process of fabricating an oil well screen of the above mentioned type and characteristics which consists of the following steps: to pro videametal tube, of steel, iron, or alloysof other metals, as may be desired, and'w'h'ich will have awall-thickness greater than that necessary for the requisite strength of tube if it remained un changed or merely perforated; to true the surface of such tube so asto make it substantially a cylinder; to form on the outside of said tube a multiplicity of flat-bottomed valleys of a desired depth-separated by ribs of and integral with the metal of the tube, and which ribswill have outwardly converging walls nearly meeting at their apices, which will lie in the surface of said cylin der, the ribs thus being roughly V-shaped in cross-section; to provide a wire of V-shaped I cross-section and wind that wire relically upon the ribs of the tube with its reduced edge con-.

tacting said ribs, substantially in the cylindrical plane outlined by the edges of the ribs, and with the adjacent edges of the wire everywhere uniformly spaced the same distance apart, finally, by

the use of suitable welding electric current to,

cause the contacting metal of the wire and the ribs to melt and fuse together, and to cause the wire and ribs to be sunk together uniform pre-. determined distances, and be welded and inte- The full objects and advantages of. my inven-y tion will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof now given, and the novel features of the invention are particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

This application is a divisional of my appli cation, Serial Number 14,233, filedApril' 2;. 1935' Patent No. 2,046,459.

.I'n' the drawings illustrating a form .of apparatus for effecting the steps of the processbv. which the oil-well screen is fabricated, and show-' ing'the oil-well screen so made- Fig. 1 is a plan view of an oil-well screen with some parts broken away illustrating the various r features of the oil-well screen above defined. Fig.

2 is a partial enlarged section of a portion of the oil-well screen. taken through an arc of one of the coils of thehelical wire, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3- is a transverse sectional View of a. small portion of the screen taken through. one of the helical coils of surface wire. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section similar to Fig. 3 showing a sectional view of ridges and valleys before the coils of wire have been laid therein. Fig. 5 is an end View of the completed oil-well screen. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the wire used for helical: wrapping.v Fig. '7 is a side elevation view of part. of a machine for effecting the winding and welding of the helical wire. Fig. 8 is a side elevation view of the. remaining portion of said machinewith some parts broken away. Fig. 9 isja longitudinal elevation of the head end of the machine showing the means of holding and guiding theftu'be, Fig 10 is a side elevation partly in section showing means of holding and guiding; the wire, T'of holding and guiding the tube, and of applying, welding current to the wire. Fig. ll is an enlarged sectional view in the welding' plane through'a portion of the tube anda'cross its ribs and'through a portion of the helical winding wire. Fig. 12 illustrates the manner in which the diminished edges of. the wire and ribs'are sunk together and integrated in the welding'operation. Fig. 13 is an enlarged longitudinal' section through the tube and a rib thereof and across the welding disc showing'the means for limiting-the movement of sinking together of wire and ribs. Fig. 14 is a similar view showing the same parts after the welding and merging operation is complete an'diin combination With'a wiring diagram of the means for supplying and for controllin the welding current. ai'plan view of the means for holding and guid ing the wire across the. ribs of the tube and against a. wall of thewel'ding disc. Fig. 16 is a sectional part-diagrammatic view of the means for truing the surfacev of the tube to make it cylindrical. Fig. 17 is asecti'onal part-diagrammatic view of the-means for milling or cutting the fiat-bottomed valleys along the outside of the tube. Fig. 18 is' a similar part-diagrammatic view showing; means for. punching the holes along the bottoms of the valleys.

{Referring to Figs. :16, l'l'and 18, a suitable formed tube ID, of a desired metal such as steel, is provided with an, initial thickness indicated at H in Fig. 16 which will be enough thicker than that required forthe final strength of. the oilwell screen to allow forifthe operations hereinafter referred to; The first of these operations Fig. 15 is face to substantially that of a true cylinder. Such turing is necessary to make possible the welding and integrating operation hereinafter described.

After the truing above referred to the tube I is subjected to a milling operation such as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1'7, wherein a gang of milling cutters |4 operatedby well-known, mechanism, not shown, will form "successively a multiplicity of longitudinal fiatbottomed valleys |5 separated by intervening ridges l6'about the entire circumference of the tube, as best shown in Figs. 5 and 18. The ridges or ribs 16 are V- shaped in cross-section having outwardly converging side Walls to'bring said walls to almost meeting position in the surface of' the trued cylinder, as indicated at I'I. The ridges |6 are thus an integral part of the tube- I0, being formed of the metal of the original tube, and constitute longitudinally strengthening, and spacing elements for a purpose hereinafter pointed out.

The next step in the preparation of the oilwell screen tube is to provide a suitable series of holes or apertures through the walls of the tube along the bottoms of the valleysin and between adjacent pairs of ribs l6. This may be done by successively drilling the holes or by standard punching means, such as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 18, in whicha punch I9 is caused by well-known operating mechanism to force successive bodies of metal from the bottoms of the valleys l6 through a die-opening 20 in a supporting anvil 2|; The resulting structure is well shown in Fig. 1, wherein rows of holes 22 so formed are shown along the bottoms of the several valleys l5 and between adjacent pairs of ribs Hi. It is to be noted that the holes 22 oii adjacent rows are staggered with relation to the holes on either side thereof, and preferably are of a diameter equal to. the width of the bottom of the valleys l5 and spaced apartadistance substantially equal to the same diameter. This arrangement makes a very strong structure, in which the intervening ribs I6 furnish powerful longitudinal strengthening elements, which, as will hereinafter be pointed out, aid further in enormously strengthening the entire oil-well screen structure by reason of the integral uniting therewith of the helical coils of the wrapping wire 23 in the manner hereinafter described.

The instrumentalities for winding the wire 23 helically upon the ribs I6 so, formed with their apices outlining the surface of a cylinder will now be described. The means for supporting these instrumentalities comprise columns 3, 4 and 5 shown in Figs. 7 and 8 and extending to any suitable floor foundation. These will be composed of concrete, steel or any suitablematerial. Upon these supporting columns are, arranged two lonare separated a distance somewhat greater than the maximum length of oil-well screen or section thereof which it is desirable to make.

Referring to Figs. '7, 9 and 10, the hollow cylindrical spindle 24 is provided with end plates 25 and 26 secured to the spindle by means of bolts 21. Some of these bolts, as shown in Fig. 10 are -in line with bracket holders 28 in which are mounted rollers 29 adapted to engage the outer surface or the ribs l6 of the tube l0 prepared as heretofore outlined. These rollers 29 are shown as three in number and will hold the tube l0 centered in respect to a head plate 30 and within an annular horizontally extended flange 3| to which the tube I0 is rigidly secured by an annular row of setscrews 32. There will in practice be three equally-spaced bracket holders 28 and rollers 29 at each end of the spindle 24, which will 7 give the tube III a three-point suspension within the spindle, thereby permitting it to rotate with the spindle and at the same time be advanced longitudinally thereof along the rollers, as hereinafter described.

The spindle 24 is held to rotate on bearings formed upon and carried by the headstock castings 8, as clearly shown in Figs. '7 and 9. A ring gear 34 fast on the spindle 24 is driven by a spur gear 35 (Fig. 7) on a shaft 36 which is connected by a jaw coupling 31 with standardreduction gearing in box 38. The gearing in box 38 is driven by a pulley 39 through belt 40 from pulley 4| fast on the shaft 42. This shaft is driven from an electric motor shown at 3 through intermediate change speed gearing of well-known construction, not shown in detail, but being controlled by hand wheel 43. A hand lever 44 controls the clutch, of standard type not shown, for connecting the mechanism for operation and'otherwise.

As shown in Fig. 9, the head plate 30 is secured by means of bolts 45 to a hub 46 integral with a sleeve 41. This sleeve 41, Fig. 8, has fast thereon a spur gear 48 driven by a pinion 49 splined to a shaft 50 journaled in bearings in the headstock and tailstock respectively and extending along the frame members 6 and Shaft 50, Fig. 9, is driven by a pinion 50a meshing with the ring gear 34. This pinion, spur gear 48 and pinion 49 are of such size relative to the ring gear 34 and pinion 35 as to rotate the head 30 at the same speed of rotation as that of the spindle 34. The sleeve 41 and spur gear 48 are mounted upon a carriage 5| adapted to travel on rollers 52 movable along ways on the top of beams 6 and I, and the pinion 49 is held to travel longitudinally with the carriage 5| and the spur gear 48 along shaft 50 to which it is splined for full longitudinal movement.

The longitudinal movement is efiected for the purpose of causing the wire 23 to be helically wound upon the ribs l6, as will hereinafter be described. This movement is efiected by a lead screw 53 which has a thrust bearing 54, Fig. 9, in the sleeve 41 about which said sleeve is free to rotate. The lead screw 53 extends through a bracket member 55 on tailstock 9 and through a spur gear 56 journaled to rotate on said bracket. This spur gear carries a pair of arms 51, 58 each of which carries half of a split nut 59 which is internally threaded to engage the threads of lead screw 53 and which has its internal threads held in operative position by a knurled hand nut 60 adapted to be withdrawn and supported on stand 6| when the construction is not set for operating. the .lead screw to advance the carriage 5| and .the head 30. Gear 56 meshes 1 vscribed. As clearly shown in Figs.- 10, 11. and 13, the rolling electrode disc I3 rests on the top surface of wire 23 in the welding plane normal to the with and is driven by a pinion 62 on-a shaft ,63

which extends along the frame from its rear beyond the bracket, 55 to a point toward the front of the machine. As shown somewhat diagrammatically in Fig. 7, a nest of gears 64 fast on shaft 36 are adapted to cooperate with change speed gearing of usual construction having splined connection, not shown, with shaft 63, and being held in any selectedposition by means of control plunger 65 engaging slots in a keeper plate 66.

By these means the shaft 63, pinion 62 and spur gear 56 carrying the split nut- 59 are driven ata desiredselected speed. advances the lead screw 53 faster or slower as may be desired. This will result in laying. the coils of the helicallywound wire 23, as now will be described, so the adjacent edges of these coils are spaced nearer or farther apart to make the drainage slots narrower or wider as may be desired.

The wire 23, which is helically wound upon the ribs I6 of the-tube, has a cross-section such as indicated at 61 in Figs. 2 and6 and 12. This comprises a flat top and converging side walls preferably ending in a curved inner portion or edge. The wire 23 is held and guided by means of guide rollers 68, Figs. 10 and 15, on a platform 68 supported for pivotal adjustment on an adjustable vertical stand I9. held the flat-topped surface of the wire 23 will be maintained at all times in planes parallel to the axis of rotation of the spindle 24, head 30,

' and tube I9, and of the cylinder outlined by the fork on, a standard 89, the last three elements edges of the ribs I6. The convexly curved reduced edge of the wire falls directly in the welding plane which extends vertically across said ribs. As shown in detail in Fig. 11, thiswire-will be guided and held so that it will contact not only the diminished edge of a rib- I5 at the point of welding, but at all times will also contact one or more of said ribs in advance of the one where welding has taken place. The wire 23 is also held so an edge thereof will at all times engage a vertical annular surface II, ofv the welding disc 13 of electrode I2 shown in. Fig. 10 andin enlarged section in Fig. 11. This electrode comprises the disc 73 held on a cylindrical carrier 14, Figs. 9 and 13. The carrier rotates on an internal hearing extending from the end portion I5 of an arm I6 mounted for oscillatingmovementon a long bearing TI extending between. arms I8, 19 of a being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9. This standard is held in a guide 8| for vertical adjustment by means of bolts 82. The carrier His provided with a cylindrical surface 83, Fig. l3, forming a contact drum between flanges 84 and-85 on the carrier 14. This contact surface is'turned 'p'erfectly smooth and is engaged by, the split halves 8'1 88 of a cylindrical contact, shoeor brush. The

94 secured to a frame support-and bolted to an extension of shoe member 8'1; This bar 94 is also bolted, as clearly indicated in Fig. 9, at 96 to an assemblage of a multiplicity of. metallic spring-leaf ,conductor' members 91 which are positioned and curved in the manner shown Fig.2 10 at 98, and have their ends bolted at 99 to one of the terminals I99 of the core on thesec-- ,pndary side of transformer hereinafter to -be de- As so guided and respective brushes.

restrained from rotation or turning with the drum-like contact member I99 by means. of alink' axis ofro tation of the spindle 24, head 39 and tube I9. Due to the weight of these parts the gravity pressure o-n-the wire 23 will be quite considerable and undern'iost conditions of use will be sufficient. however, it should be desirable to. increase such pressure this may be effected by means of a suitable removable weight IilI hung on an arm I92 which, as shown in Fig. 10, is rigidly connected to the extension 95 of shoe member 81.

Referring particularly to Figs. 11 and 13, it will be noted that the Welding disc 13 of the rolling electrodefiZ has in addition to the annular vertical surface H a wire-engaging horizontal surface: I99, and-further, Fig. 15, that the wire 23 is so fed as to cause its advancing edge firmly to contact the annular vertical surface II. This results inholding the wire, as successive coils are 'helically laid. upon the cylindrical longitudinallyadvan'cing group of ribs I6 on the tube I9, so that the rear edge of said wire will always be uniformly spaced from the forward edge of the wire coil behind it to give a continuous slot of uniform width. Having reference to Figs. 13 and 14 it will be noted that the welding" disc 73 is provided with a cylindrical surface I94 which is of considerable width. Until the welding has taken place this surface Hi l will be spaced from the upturned diminished edge of the rib where welding is taking place, as indicated at 495 in Fig. 13. The moment the metal softens, however, the surface I94 contacts: the diminished upper edge of Ifll'tfi, as shownin Fig. 14, with a highly important result hereinafter described. The vertically-movable disc electrode 12 is. completely insulated from the frame as indicated at I96 and I9! in Fig. 9 and I98 in Fig. 10. The second electrode is, of course, in each instance one of the ribs I6 formingan integral part of the tube I9, the spindle or drum 24 which rotates with the tube I9 and the parts connected therewith. These comprise an annular contact ring I99 (Fig. 9) provided with an annular contact groove H9 in which are seated semi-circular tongues III fast on contact shoes or brushes I I2; I I3 (Figs. 9 and 10). These brushes, as shown'in Fig. 10, rest upon the rotating contact surface of contact member I99, and are connected together by a group'of leaf copper conductors i M bolted to the The brushes H2, H3 are II5 which is shown bolted at IIG to the connecting conductor members H4 and secured to the frame, Fig. '7' at I H. The contact shoes orbrushes H2, II3 are in turn connected at II8 to a strip conductor member II9 which is bolted at. I29 to the other terminal l2I of the secondary winding I22 of the transformer. For carrying current from: the tube I9 to the contact ring I99 and the. brushes H2, H3 andconnecting conductor'strips H4; I I9, I provide, as shown in Figs. '7 and 19,

a multiplicity of spring fingers I49 which ar or between adjacent ribs I 9, with a wiping. spring pressure. These fingers are preferably secured by the bolts 21 to the flange 25 at the front end of spindle 24 and insure certain and free flow of welding current from the several contacts of the welding electrode I2 with the successive ribs I5 through wire 23.

The meansaof. control of. electric-current to.

the above-named welding" or metallic integrating instrumentalities is shown in Figs. 8, and (for Wiring diagram) Fig. 14. Current is supplied through a multiple switch indicated in the wiring diagram of Fig. 14 at I23 to the transformer I22. This switch is controlled by the handle I24 by which contacts may be made with selected ones of the taps I25 indicated by pointer I26. Fig. 8. Electric current is thereby passed through differing numbers of turns or coils of wire in the primary circuit of the transformer by which is effected suitable reduction of voltage and corresponding increase of amperage or volume of flow of current in the secondary. Further control of line voltage supplied to the transformer is effected by a choke I27, see wiring diagram of Fig. 14. Electric current to the choke goes through multiple switch I28, making contacts with a selected one of taps I29 and controlled by handle I30, as indicated by pointer I3I.

Following the wiring diagram of Fig. 14, line current is shown as being supplied by conducting wires I32 and I33. The motor circuit is indicated at I34 and is controlled by manually-operable switch indicated diagrammatically at I35. The welding circuit includes the transformer primary windings I31, and these are selectively introduced into the circuit in greater or less number of coils by multiple switch member I23 adapted to engage any selected one of taps I25. In the primary circuit diagram is shown the choke I2'I embodying a multiplicity of windings I38. More or less of these windings are selectively brought into the circuit by multiple switch I28 adapted by means of handle I to be caused to contact a selected one of taps I29. By these means the primary turns in circuit is determined and the line pressure of 240 volts is controlled, togive the desired welding voltage of between two and two and onehalf volts in the secondary circuit and produce a correspondingly increased amperage or volume of flow.

The secondary current of the transformer will flow to the vertically-movable welding electrode 12 and thence through whatever contact is made in the welding operation to the vertically-stationary electrode closing the secondary circuit of the transformer as indicated in the wiring diagram of Fig. 14 at I4I, I42. Referring to Fig. 11, it will be obvious that the current may flow through the wire 23 contacted by the disc electrode I3 backward through ribs already welded to the wire and ahead to and through all ribs making contact with the wire. Always there is one or more of such ribs being contacted in advance of the welding plane, and it follows that these ribs and the wire immediately above the points of its contact with the ribs will be preliminarily heated by this flow of current. The shortest path for flow of current will ordinarily be through the wire in the vertical plane as indicated at I39 on Fig. 11. Here there-momentarily will be the greatest flow of current,'with heating eiiect sufficient to melt the contacting edges of the rib I6 and wire 23. This takes place almost instantaneously, hence weight of 'the electrode and its carrier (and weight IUI if that be desirable) causes the fused rib and wire to merge together, and permits the cylindrical surface I04, Fig. 13, to drop into contact with the upper edge of rib I6, Fig. 14. Such contact not only limits physically the amount of sinking together of wire and rib, but at the same time distributes thecurrent along that particular rib and into-the body of the tube I0 away from the welding poin into the welding plane.

place in flowing water.

to check further fusion an'a' to permit doiinggof thefused portion of'rib and wire. 1 This cooling is very materially aided and the -welding heat carried off by means of a constant current of water from pipes I43 and I44, Fig. 9.

The pipe I43 discharges water into the interior the water flows over the edge of the electrode and Pipe I44 delivers the water upon the lower portion of welding disc 13 in a direction to cause it to flow continually over the point of welding so'that welding always takes a tank, not shown, from which water flows by gravity through a conveying pipe, not shown, to water delivery pipes I43 and I44.

In the manner pointed out in my copending application, Serial Number 752,384, of which this This water gravitates to application is in some respects a continuation,

them, may be made with unbroken current, at

low voltage and large current flow, even better than with the use of a make-and-breakdevice. There is, therefore, used by me continuous instead of intermittent current, and the tube and ribs are rotated at a righ rate of speed to cause the wire to be laid under the welding electrode at a correspondingly rapid rate. The width of the valleys I5 is such that the ribs are spaced distances apart so related to the latent movement of thewire across the rods as to produce this rapid welding by the use of unbroken current. In this manner I amable to efiect from sixteen to eighteen hundred welds per minute of a. character to merge thewire 23 and rib together until the face I04 of welding disc 13 contacts wire I6, when the concentration at I39 is dissipated, the metal at the weldimmediately cooled (aided by the water thrown thereon), and a succeeding welding is almost instantly effected. This process takes placeat very high speed continuously about the ribs' I6 integral with tube II) ribs I6, the floors of the valleys being provided with rows of suitably spaced circular holes extending through the body of the tube, and a wire of narrowed cross-section wrapped in helical coils upon the integral ribs 23, and so the reduced edge of the wire contacts the outer edge of said ribs, said wire being merged into and everywhere sunk the same predetermined distance intoand' integrated with the metal of being welded and the ribs 23.

There are thus formed a multiplicity of longi tudinal channels of substantial'w'idth and depth along the outside 'of the tube. communicating through the numerous holes at thebottoms of each channel with the interior of the tube, and

an outer screening layer integrally united with the outer edges of the ribs formed with closelyspaced uniform inwardly-expanding slots into the channels. This produces an oil-well screen of very large capacity and self-cleaning drainage slots, and at the same time one of extraordinary strength in proportion to the weight of metal used, since the longitudinal ribs metallically integrated with the helical wire wrappings more than compensates for the loss of metal in the tube through the formation of longitudinal valleys and the punching of holes.

The advantages of this construction will be apparent from the foregoing description. It will result in an oil-well screen of remarkably adequate strength, much stronger than those heretofore employed, and also will give much greater capacity than the previous oil-well screens, and freedom from clogging. The arrangement of ribs integrally united with the body of the tube and rows of holes from the bottoms of the valleys between said ribs, relatively closely spaced, and

yet producing this great strength, is an especial feature of advantage for the oil-well screen embodying my invention. Such an oil-well screen is well able to resist all stresses to which it may be subjected in the process of setting, and when once it has been set in position in the oil-bearing strata it will remain useful and operative until all available supplies of oil have been removed from the strata in the regions properly draining to the oil-well screen.

I claim:

A process of making oil-well screens which consists in forming the outside of a metallic tube to make it a substantially true cylindrical surface, removing the' metal of said tube longitudinally so as to form thereon a multiplicity of Iongitudinally extended valleys and intervening integral ribs having their outer edges lying in said cylindrical surface, forming rows of holes through the bottoms of said valleys into the interior of the tube, winding helically upon the outer edges of said ribs a wire having a reduced portion coming to substantially anedge with said edge contacting the ribs, welding the wire and ribs together at each crossing point thereof as saidwire is wound, and causing said reduced portion of said wire to contact the reduced portion of the ribs at each crossing point thereof and to be sunk 

